Falling into Madness
by Morganellie
Summary: The story of Alice and her Mad Hatter, Jefferson, and how they fell into love and madness. T for Mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**First Fanfic, sorry if it stinks, I'm not really a writer, more of an avid fanfiction reader, but I really wanted to read a story about Jefferson and Alice, couldn't find one that really suited my fancy, so I decide to write one myself, for my own amusement. So with that here you go.**

It was a day in spring when Jefferson's life was turned upside down. The forest floor was dark and covered in all kinds of life and moss, and he had been collecting mushrooms and other various berries to sell later that week at the spring equinox festival.

He heard her before he saw her. She landed on the ground with an "oomph" and a loud pant. Jefferson left his basket and gingerly turned around; coming face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes widened, meeting his. He noted the dazzling blue of her eyes, while she noted the danger of an unknown stranger in an unknown world.

"Shit," she muttered, trying desperately to pull herself up. It was then Jefferson noticed blood covering the pantaloons on her left thigh. Jefferson took another step towards her with his hands raised, and she struggled in a panic trying to drag the dead weight of her leg along the terrain of the ground.

"Wait, please," Jefferson pleaded. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help," he said, acting as he would to an injured animal, which with her wild eyes, she very well could be. Her heavy breathing slowed the slightest bit as he crouched down to the ground and brought a hand to her leg to examine the wound, resulting in a cry of pain.

"Sorry!" Jefferson sputtered and retracted his hand. "Where are you from?" He questioned hesitantly. "Is there somewhere I can take you?"

"No," she said. "I'm from... Not here." She mumbled, not looking at him.

"Any family?" He asked.

"No," she said glumly.

"Well I suppose you'll have to come home with me then," he said shyly, but with forced nonchalance.

"No, thank you for your offer kind sir, but I must be on my way," she said graciously. She tried to pull herself up, and nearly did until she had to use her injured leg to support her weight, and came falling back to the ground.

Jefferson immediately caught her in his arms, and as soon as the shock of the fall wore off, her face turned to annoyance in anticipation of what she knew was about to come next.

"I must insist ma'am, you are in no condition to travel," he said. She sighed.

"I was afraid of that," she said, as Jefferson placed her arm over his shoulders to support her weight, and they slowly made their way to his cottage.

* * *

"So, you said you aren't from here," Jefferson prompted as he set her down on the small cot he had in the corner of his home.

"Yes I did," she said matter-of-factly.

After waiting a few moments in expectance, Jefferson pulled up a dining chair to the bed and took a seat. "And where would that be?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"I told you... Not here," she said averting his gaze.

"Not the Enchanted Forest?" He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, it was the first time he had ever met anyone from outside of this realm. "So are you from a different land?" He asked curiously.

"Something like that." He couldn't say he was surprised; her attire matched none he'd ever seen in his life time. It was regal, yet showed years of wear and tear; a faded cerulean blue dress which had been cut off near the waist with white pants horribly worn and dirty boots.

"Wait a minute..." she started slowly, grabbing at her back, "Where's my cloak?! Where is it?!" She began to scream in panic.

"Relax, I have it." He said quickly. "It was on the ground when I found you, so I put it in my bag."

"Oh," she said with a sigh of relief, calming down immediately. Her intense demeanor was gone, and replaced with a smile. "Would you be a dear and fetch it for me...? I'm sorry, I never got your name," she said lamely.

"Jefferson," he said with a small smile.

"Alice," she replied with her own brilliant smile, causing Jefferson's heart to skip a beat.

"Alice," he repeated warmly. He then left his chair to retrieve the seemingly ruined piece of cloth from the corner of the room. He returned and handed it to her, and as soon as it was in her hands she let out a sigh of relief.

Upon inspecting it, the panic returned in her eyes. "It's ripped," she whispered dejectedly. "Oh no," her voice quivered. Tears started to fill her eyes and she began to hyperventilate.

"Alice!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, "We can mend it!" He said trying to reason with her. Although he wasn't sure why she was so upset about the cloak, as it was not of very good quality in the first place.

"You don't understand! I'm not from _here_!" She moaned.

"Well yes, you said that," he said confused. "But don't worry, I'll get together some money and get you transport back home... And a new cloak," he added. Jefferson was taken aback, but eager to please the curious young lady, who he had, to his embarrassment, already become smitten with in the hour that they had known each other.

"I don't want another cloak! I need _this _cloak! And it's ruined, it cannot be mended" the heartbreak in her voice and eyes pulled at Jefferson's heart. "I'm not... From this world," she said hesitantly. Jefferson just stared at her, not seeming to understand, and she sighed.

She calmed herself down and began to explain. "There are worlds beyond your own. Infinite numbers of worlds upon worlds, and some can travel between these worlds. I'm one of those people."

"And... What world are you from?" he asked.

"Me? I'm from Wonderland." She stated.

"So... You want to leave?" He asked, his voice filled with more disappointment than he would have cared to admit.

"Well, I left Wonderland to get away, and I ended up here. I must confess I'm in the middle of a pickle at the moment there, and I was hoping to steer clear of it by staying in another world, but I have to go back eventually. I must," she said, more to herself than to Jefferson.

"You could always stay here, you know," Jefferson added shyly, but hopeful.

Alice smiled in return at the bashful young man. "That is very sweet of you Jefferson," she said kindly. "But there are people who need me," Alice explained, wiping her tears. "But the cloak is damaged, it won't work anymore, and it's how I get from world to world."

"There's no way to fix it?" He asked.

"No, I'm afraid it's not like any ordinary cloak. It must be a wearable piece of clothing, and contain no impurities, so mending it is out of the question. Once it is damaged it cannot be repaired."

"Well does it have to remain a cloak? What if it was made into a shirt, or a shoe... or... I don't know... a hat? My father used to be a hatter, and I learned some of his tricks, so it's possible that I could make a hat out of it," He offered.

Her eyes lit up, "Jefferson, that's a wonderful idea! Oh I could kiss you!" She said gleefully. She tried to jump out of bed, but remembered her injured leg as it hissed in pain. Jefferson was overjoyed he could help the beautiful maiden, and basked in the happiness he felt in pleasing her.

"Tomorrow," Jefferson assured her, "For now, let's just worry about getting you fixed up. And with that he left his seat to go fetch a medical supplies box.

Alice let out a sigh of relief. She hated being contained in one world for too long, but as she gazed at the stranger who had taken her into his home, who had kindness in his eyes. If she had to be stranded in a foreign world, she had to admit it could've been worse. And as he returned to her with the supplies, and a cup of tea, she was felt reaffirmed. Oh yes, things could've been much worse, she thought with a smile.

Jefferson had to admit, it was very awkward to be in the presence of a lady with bare legs, and even more so having to tend to her wound, but it seemed Alice did not think much of it. Jefferson was beginning to notice that Alice was a unique woman who didn't seem to care what others thought of her.

Upon further inspection, the wound was not as bad as it initially seemed, it did not cut down to the bone, but was deep enough that Alice would feel pain in the following weeks. He cleaned the wound with herbs, a skill that he had learned from his mother, and then bandaged it.

"There, all better," Jefferson said gently.

"Thanks Jefferson," Alice said with a smile. "Could you help me up, love?" She asked casually. Jefferson blushed at the term of endearment and obliged. Alice began unlacing the back of her dress, leaning up against the wall for support. Jefferson coughed, trying to alert Alice that he was still in the room, but Alice did not seem to notice, or take any discomfort with the fact that she was standing incredibly scantily clad in front of a man she has barely known a day.

"Umm... Alice?"

"Yes Jefferson?" She said, struggling to untie the last lace on her corset.

"Could I offer you some clothes, perhaps?" He said hopefully, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Oh no thank you dear I'll be just fine," she said, turning to Jefferson. She noticed his discomfort, and then was startled when she realized why he was so nervous.

"Oh my goodness. Dear me, I'm sorry, love. I've been in a place without the rules of society for a great deal of time, and also forgotten how to be a lady," she said apologetically. "I suppose I'll be taking you up on that offer, then." She blushed.

Jefferson nearly let out a sigh of relief as he turned around and rummaged around in a large trunk full of old belongings. After a minute or two of digging he finally found what he was after, and pulled his mother's old nightgown out, shaking out dust as he stood up and turned to Alice.

"This should do it," he said, letting out an awkward cough.

"Thank you," She said pulling the gown over her head. "I really am sorry about that, when you are out in the wild on your own with a bunch of mad savages you kind of forget your manners over time. Then again even as a child I was a free spirit," she said wistfully.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." He said.

"Well I grew up in a different world. Much different than Wonderland. There were strict rules and uncomfortable dresses and people expected you to be all polite and proper and go to parties. When I was a young girl I followed a world traveler through a portal, and found myself in Wonderland. It's a wonderful place, it's fantastic and beautiful and everything I could've wanted as a child. But life happened, and things became corrupt," Alice said, fiddling with the fabric of the night gown.

"I'm sorry," Jefferson said, wishing he could find words that could comfort Alice.

"Don't be," she said with a sigh, and began braiding her long blonde hair in preparation for bed.

"You said it was corrupt... Is that how you got that cut?" He asked.

"How keen of you, I was wondering when you were going to ask. I might be a criminal for all you know!"

"Are you?" He asked with wide eyes.

Alice returned his question with a proud smile. "Yes."

"Oh."

"Oh? You are curious man Jefferson. You're not going to ask what crime I have committed?" She pushed.

"Only if you wish to tell me," he offered.

"Well, I'm not a mad murderer, if that's why you're wondering. Mad? Yes. Murderer? No. I was standing up for my people, against the Red Queen."

"The Red Queen?"

"A cruel woman who chops your head off if she catches you even _thinking _rebellious thoughts," she said darkly.

"Well that sounds a bit extreme," Jefferson agreed.

"I got into a bit of a brawl with one of her guards, and that's how I ended up with this," she said gesturing to her injury. "I was cornered, so I came to the first world the cloak would bring me to, and here we are." Alice yawned, and sat herself down on Jefferson's bed. She stared at him expectantly.

"Well aren't you going to go to sleep too?" She asked patting the space beside her.

"Umm... Well... I'll just... I'll just sleep on the ground," he sputtered out.

Something seemed to click for Alice. "Oh yes, I'm doing it again, sorry. That would be most imprudent I suppose. Well... Good night Jefferson," Alice said.

"Good night, Alice," and with that Jefferson blew out the candle and settled down in a corner with a blanket and lumpy pillow. And with that, the day that had changed Jefferson's life ended.

**So review if you like, let me know if you want to hear more**


	2. Chapter 2

"Wake up my darling little Hatter," Alice sung merrily in Jefferson's face, waking him up and causing him to gasp in surprise. He had nearly forgotten about his day yesterday and of Alice. She had presented a lot of new information to Jefferson to process, and most of it had yet to sink in. "Are you ready to get to work?"

"How did you even get over here?" He grumbled, noticing she was on the floor next to him.

"Eh, I hobbled," she shrugged. Jefferson pushed himself upright, his back cracking in the process. The hard wooden floors of his home did not make the most comfortable place to sleep. "So, where do we start, Hatter?" She asked.

"Hatter? I'm hardly a hatter," he said scoffing.

"Well you are about to become one. Plus, it suits you," she said grabbing his hand and pulling him off the ground, relying mostly on Jefferson's strength with the impairment of her leg.

Jefferson let out a yawn, to say Alice was an early riser would be an understatement. "Oh wake up, you. I made tea," she announced.

"And apparently made yourself at home," he noted with amusement.

"Yes, well, that's what friends do. We are friends aren't we, Jefferson?"

"Indeed we are," he said blushing.

"So, I got you tea, is there anything else you require to work? A foot massage? A serenade?" Alice asked playfully.

"Not for the moment, no," he said pulling out his father's old sewing supplies. "I can't believe I'm doing this, I haven't done this since I was a young lad."

"Well, no time like the present to get back on the horse, eh?" she said fiddling with the knick knacks Jefferson kept lying around.

"So," he started, toying with the fabric, "Since this is your hat, I suppose I should ask you what kind of hat you would like it to be? A nice beret? Or a fascinator perhaps?" He mused.

"No, none of that girly poppycock, I'll take a gentlemen's hat, something fancy... Make it a top hat," she finished excitedly.

"A top hat? Well if that's what you want."

"It'll be perfect for my afternoon teas, give things a nice formal air, don't you think, Hatter?" she said wistfully.

"Well, I suppose I'll start then."

The sun was setting when the Hatter finally finished the hat.

Jefferson had spent the day listening to Alice tell exciting and exotic tales as he worked, of Wonderland, and of her life.

She told him how she had grown up in a place called London, and had mistakenly followed a world traveler through a portal, and into Wonderland. "It was no tragedy," she had explained, "I was glad to escape my life. I finally felt hope." She grew up in Wonderland, being raised mostly by the inhabitants, namely a cat and a rabbit with a few mental issues. When she became a young woman she won the magic cloak in a game of chess, and has been travelling across different worlds ever since. "But my home is in Wonderland, always. That's where my heart truly lies. And that is why ever since the Red Queen took over, I've been fighting to protect it."

She had asked for the story of Jefferson's life in return, but modestly informed her that there was nothing to tell.

"That's rubbish, everyone's lives are exciting, even if they spend the whole of it sitting on their ass."

"Not mine," he said meekly. "I grew up with my mother and father, my father was a hatter. I grew up, they died, and here I am."

"You are just looking at it from the wrong perspective my dear Hatter," she said picking up the hat to examine his work. "This is perfect, love," she said giving Jefferson a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush profusely. "Now to see if it works."

She placed the hat on her head expectantly. She fiddled with its placement, and attempted spinning the brim, but nothing happened. She let out a sigh, refusing to let the full extent of her disappointment show. "Well I suppose if nothing else I look quite dashing don't I?" She asked sadly.

"You look beautiful," he offered half-heartedly. She sat on the ground in defeat, and tears began to well in her eyes. She sniffled and attempted to catch her tears before they fell.

"Well I suppose I'll be here a little longer than expected," she laughed. He brought himself down to her level, and brought his thumb to her cheek to wipe away a tear that had fallen past her fingers.

"We'll find a way to get you back home," he said, and Alice smiled in return.

"Thank you Jefferson... For trying," she said, holding his hand in place with her own. "If I had to be stuck somewhere, I'm glad it's with you," she said full of hope, but the sadness in her eyes betrayed her. Jefferson's heart nearly broke in too. He had come to enjoy the young woman's company, and knew that knowing someone for a day was not enough to fall in love, but he felt her pulling at his heart strings in ways that he never knew possible. She had been the first in years to break past his walls of solitude and make him feel something.

And even though it killed Jefferson to admit it to himself, he knew he had to do everything in his power to make her happy. And it was then that Jefferson's mind started racing.

"What if... What if it works differently? I mean it used to be a cloak, I would imagine you would have to treat a hat differently than a cloak," he offered.

"Perhaps. I have never really thought about it that way," she murmured. "But I've done everything I can think of with that hat on my head," she said dejectedly.

"Well perhaps take a different approach," he said.

"You try, you seem to be the one full of mad ideas," she said handing him the hat.

"My ideas aren't that bad," he said with mock offense.

"Who ever said being mad was a bad thing," she smiled.

He played with the hat, turning in in his hands which way and that. "What if..." he paused, taking the hat into one hand. With a slow and cautious flick of the wrist he spun the hat onto the floor.

The hat began to spin off its own accord, and Alice squealed with joy. "You did it Jefferson!" She said grabbing his face with both hands and giving him a large kiss on the mouth, shocking Jefferson and causing his eyes to widen.

"Well I suppose this means farewell!" She spouted out rapidly, her eyes watching the hat excitedly.

"Alice-"

"Perhaps, I'll see you again someday," she said with a smile taking a step towards the rapidly expanding hat. "Farewell Hatter," she said taking the final plunge into the abyss. And in a flash she was gone, and the hat followed, collapsing in on itself until it had disappeared with the girl.

Jefferson just stared at the ground miserably. _Well that was a quick farewell_, he thought miserably. He let out a sigh of despair, and stood in silence for a moment, not knowing what to do with himself._How do you go back to everyday life after meeting a creature such as Alice? _Now things such as the festival he had been preparing for seemed trivial, how could he go back to such a mundane task as collecting berries and mushrooms?

Jefferson resigned himself to go to sleep, feeling downtrodden and hopeless. There was not much to look forward to now, he thought glumly. He settled into his bed, which still smelt vaguely of Alice's exotic aroma, one that could only come from another world, and forced the sadness out of his mind in hopes that sleep would quell his emotions.

_You're a silly man, Jefferson. _He thought to himself. How could he become so infatuated with a woman he had met so suddenly and know for such a brief period of time? Perhaps it was the result of living in solitude for so long, Jefferson couldn't even remember the last time he had spoken to a woman.

_But it wasn't just that, she was special._ He had never known another living soul whose eyes lit up with excitement when talking of the simplest of things; who grasped onto his every word, and treated him like an interesting person. She was so passionate, and adventurous, and wild. Everything Jefferson was not, and everything he wished he could be.

_If I could only see her just once more, I'd tell her how I felt_, he thought wistfully.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud sound, resembling violent wind. He opened his eyes in confusion, only to widen them as he observed a swirling pit in the middle of his floor grow from the size of a small coin to that of a horse. A scream grew louder and louder until he heard the sound of Alice's voice clearly, and suddenly she was there, thrown a few feet into the air from the hole, and landed with a large grunt onto the hard floor. The hole then contracted, and transformed back into the hat.

"Ow," she said grumpily.

"Well I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon," he said with his eyebrows raised, trying to hold in his excitement of her return.

"Ha, ha," she replied sarcastically. She brought herself to her feet, letting out a groan from stretching her still healing wound. She let out a tired sigh. "Well... Did you miss me?" she asked jokingly.

"I don't understand," Jefferson asked slowly. "Why did you come back?" Part of Jefferson was hopeful that she would reply because of him, but he knew there had to be some other reason.

"I was spit back out," she said staring down at the hat.

"Why?" he asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"It must be something with the hat," she said returning his puzzled expression.

Jefferson's heart dropped. "I'm sorry... I failed you," Jefferson said sadly. He was genuinely displeased to find that the hat did not work for her, but at the same time he struggled to quell the feeling of happiness that resided in his chest at the thought that she would remain stuck in this world.

"Well it definitely was working," she said thoughtfully. "I think we were on the right track Jefferson. Perhaps we just need to try again."

"I'll get started working immediately in the morning," he replied with determination.

"No, no Hatter. That won't do. You've spent all day working on this bloody hat. I say you deserve a break," she said playfully.

"Are you sure?" He asked hesitantly.

"Positive. Besides, I want you to show me this world," she said with a grin.

**So... I have a plan for this story set up in my mind, but reviews, faves, and follows make my write faster. So if you like this story let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow," Alice said thoughtfully taking in the clamor of the bustling market. "Your world is quite interesting," she said picking up a trinket at one of the stalls to examine it. "It's definitely not as vibrant as Wonderland, but it has its own charm. It appears to be right out of a fairy tale," she said turning to Jefferson with a dazzling smile.

"What's a fairy tale?" Jefferson asked with curiosity.

"You know," she said after examining some more wares, "A story. An impossible adventure, with princesses and dragons and spells," she said wistfully.

"Oh," Jefferson said to no one in particular. "That doesn't sound too impossible," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"No?" Alice said with a surprised expression. "You have that sort of thing here?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes, not that I've seen anything like that in my experience though," he added meekly.

"That's a shame," she said, taking a few aimless steps forward and moving onto the next stall. "Perhaps one day you will," she said with an upbeat tone.

"Perhaps," said Jefferson, and took a few large strides to keep up with Alice. She seemed to be mindlessly wandering, exploring the market in a daze. "Are you getting hungry yet, Alice?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"I suppose I am," she said thoughtfully, and turned to face Jefferson. "Know of any good places?" she asked.

"A few," Jefferson said.

"Well lead the way, Hatter," she said grabbing his hand, and expectantly waited for Jefferson to guide them. Alice's hand was warm in his, and so small. She gave his rough hand a squeeze, and Jefferson's heart nearly did a leap at the simple action.

"Of course," he offered graciously, and began to lead them towards the direction of a bustling tavern called the Prickly Pumpkin. Upon entering, Alice took a deep breath through her nose.

"That smells positively heavenly," she said with longing in her voice.

"Wait until you taste it," Jefferson said, making Alice giddy with the prospect of oncoming delicious food.

"Ethel, might I get a table for two?" Jefferson called to an older bar woman, who eyed him back, her look dripping with curiosity and mischief. Jefferson let out a small sigh of exasperation, knowing that the nosy woman would be wondering who Alice was. Jefferson liked Ethel; she was a kindly old woman, almost like a grandmother to him, and often prodded Jefferson, to his discomfort, about taking a wife.

"Of course Jefferson," she said grabbing two menus and leading them to a seat. She smirked at Jefferson suggestively, seeming to ask _Who's your friend? _And Jefferson just gave her a stern glare and quietly groaned. Leave it to Ethel to make him feel like a young school boy embarrassed about his first crush.

Once they arrived at their table, Jefferson pulled out a seat for Alice, which she graciously sat down in and allowed Jefferson to push in for her. Alice tried to deny the feeling, but she couldn't help but feel a little blush come to her cheeks, she forgot what it was like to be treated like a lady. Although Alice was firm in her belief that she could do anything a man could, and detested being treated like a fragile flower, she couldn't deny the fact that the gesture was not unwelcome. Besides, the way most men had treated women back in England made it seem like they were trying to prove something by being chivalrous, whereas Jefferson did it as what seemed to be genuine affection.

"I'll get you your usual Jefferson, and what would you like dear?" She asked Alice warmly.

"I'll start with some tea if that's alright," Alice said with equal kindness. "And I'll just take a moment more to decide what to get," she said picking up her menu.

"I'll be right back with that," she said with a smile.

Alice picked up the menu, and peered at it thoughtfully. "What would you suggest I get my dear Jefferson?"

"Um... Well, Ethel does make a rather nice soup," Jefferson suggested. Alice nodded, and also noted to herself how curious Jefferson was. His shyness was so apparent, and almost everything he said had an air of timidness to it, like he was afraid he would say the wrong thing. Alice in a way found it endearing, but also couldn't believe that Jefferson carried himself in such a self-conscious manner. From knowing Jefferson since the day before she had already come to enjoy his company a great deal, and wished that he was confident in the person that she was coming to like so much.

Alice simply responded with a smile, and said "That's what I'll get," she replied confidently.

"Alright," Jefferson said with a small smile. _He is quite adorable_, Alice thought with affection. She never thought that a person so rash and outspoken like herself would ever find someone so shy and gentle to possess appeal to her like the way Jefferson did to her.

"Jefferson, could you tell me where there is a washroom I could use?" Alice asked breaking her train of thought.

"Oh, yes. It's just through that back hallway and to the left," Jefferson said.

"Thank you," she said pushing herself out up and out of her chair. "I'll be back."

Ethel returned with their drinks, placing a mug of ale in front of Jefferson. "So who's your friend, Jefferson?" She asked with a mischievous whisper. Before Jefferson could sputter out a response his attention was brought to Alice, who was stopped on her trip to the bathroom by a rather large, and seemingly drunk, man.

"Haven't seen you around here before, love," he slurred with bravado in his voice.

"Yes, I'm not from here," Alice politely replied.

"How about I show you around," he said placing an arm around Alice. "Starting with my bed," he suddenly reached his hand down to give her backside a squeeze.

Jefferson abruptly stood from his chair, prepared to run to Alice's aid. He may not be able to fight the man, but he could distract him from Alice long enough for her to get away. Before he had time to take a full stride towards them he was surprised by a large smacking sound, which came from the action of Alice head butting the man, and hitting his nose. It spurted with blood, and he moved his hands to slow the bleeding.

"Bitch!" He yelled angrily. Alice promptly responded by grabbing his neck and pushing him into a wall.

"I suggest... If you value your manhood, that is... That you stop talking. And leave me be," she said. The man let out a groan, and Alice pushed him harder into the wall. "And for future reference, treat women with respect," she spat releasing his throat. He gasped, and made towards the exit of the tavern, which was completely silent with the surprise of the event that had just transpired.

"Well," Alice said to no one in particular, straightening her clothes and letting out a huff, and continued her journey back to the washroom.

After the shock of the incident died down, Ethel turned to Jefferson. "That one's a keeper, she is," she said to Jefferson with admiration. "Don't let her get away," she said pouring Alice's tea.

"Ethel, she's just a friend," he said blushing.

"And that's why you have to court her, show her just how rare a find she is," she said quickly and wistfully, her voice full of romance.

"I don't know how to court a woman," Jefferson said sadly.

Ethel let out a sigh. "Just tell her how you feel... Don't miss your opportunity," she added softly. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder and then left Jefferson alone. He knew she was right. He thought of yesterday, and how quickly she had come into his life and how quickly he left. He had to seize the opportunity; otherwise he could spend the rest of his life regretting not having told her how he felt. And it was then Jefferson decided with a strong wave of resolve overcoming him, he would tell her.

Alice returned and took her seat. "I hope the food comes soon, I'm starving!"

* * *

"Well that was an exciting day!" Alice said plopping down on Jefferson's bed. She closed her eyes and let out a content sigh. Jefferson's cottage was alight in orange light from the few candles that he had lit after night began to fall.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Jefferson said with a timid smile at Alice. Jefferson turned to put a kettle in his fireplace, and began working quietly in preparation for them both to go to bed.

They spent a few moments in silence. Alice stared at the ceiling in thought. "Jefferson..." she started, "Why do you live alone?" she asked quietly.

He took a moment before responding, "Well, my parents passed when I was a teenager, and I suppose... I don't know... I've just always kind of been a quiet child, a bit of a loner. I never had many friends," he said without self-pity in his voice, though this saddened Alice. How could a boy as kind and gentle as Jefferson gone without companionship for so long? Could no one see what an amazing man he was?

"Any... Any lovers?" Alice asked hesitantly, although tried to play it off as casual curiosity.

Jefferson coughed in surprise, her question taking him off guard. "Erm... No. I can't say many women have expressed desire to know my acquaintance," he said turning away from her to find sleep clothes from a wardrobe.

Alice smiled to herself at his clumsy response, and affectionately looked upon Jefferson, who seemed completely occupied with searching for his clothes. Her eyes drifted from his head of unruly brown hair, that was so long and unkempt, and continued to let her eyes wander until they drifted down his back, all the way down to his backside. It was a nice backside, she admired dreamily. She counted any woman who did not recognize Jefferson's loving personality and his entrancing... assets... as a fool.

Jefferson removed his shirt, furthering Alice's thoughts of admiration towards Jefferson's body as she watched the muscles of his shoulder and back contract with the task of picking up his night shirt and putting it on. Alice internally let out a sigh of contentment. She so rarely got to admire a beautiful man.

Jefferson turned to her; with slight surprise as she quickly averted her eyes from him, it was clear she had been staring. "What?" Jefferson asked self-consciously, his eyebrows furrowing in a most adorable fashion.

"Nothing," Alice said softly with a smile. She situated herself into his bed, and he to his corner where he had created a makeshift bed before blowing out the candles.

They both lay in silence a few moments, listening to the sound of the crickets chirping in the warm spring air.

"Goodnight Jefferson," she said quietly.

"Goodnight Alice," he returned, and they both drifted into content sleep.

**Ugh writing is hard. Why can't this story just write itself? I put off writing this chapter so much. Hope you like it though, if you do, reviews motivate me to write faster!**


	4. Chapter 4

When Alice awoke, she opened her eyes slowly, rubbing sleep away with her fists like a child. Slowly bringing herself to open them, she was surprised to find she was greeted with day. The room was bright and sunlight was seeping in from the windows, pouring over Jefferson's quaint dwelling and filling it with light. This irked her slightly, Alice had always prided herself on being an early riser – she was not known to waste the day by sleeping in. The woman rolled over and saw Jefferson, sitting at a desk, his body looming and scrunched over the hat.

Jefferson hadn't slept – he'd been working on the hat long before the sun had risen. He'd tried to sleep, sure, but the hat and Alice had entrenched themselves in his mind. He tried not thinking about them, trying to count sheep as his mother had taught him long ago, but to now use. They kept resurfacing in his mind and keeping him awake.

Looking over to observe Alice's sleeping form had not helped Jefferson's quest for sleep, either. Alice, snuggled up against a pillow, looked tranquil and serene. Her eyes were pressed together oh so gently, and her small, plump lips were opened the tiniest bit. Looking at Alice's sleeping form, Jefferson was filled with a fire and drive he'd never felt before. He wanted – no, he needed to help this girl. Whatever it took, he was going to get this girl home.

He ignored the nagging in the back of his mind that told him helping her meant losing her.

So Jefferson had pulled himself from his bed and had prodded and poked, examined and sewed the hat all night in a determined silence.

"Good morning, Hatter," she said, her voice groggy with sleep, but filled with a sunshine that made Jefferson's lips curl up in a small smile, secret smile. Jefferson, the long night's silence finally broken, shot up and turned around to face Alice. He smiled at her and opened his mouth to greet her, but his words tangled up in his throat as he took in her image. The afternoon sun was washing over Alice's body, making her blond hair glow and her intense blue eyes gleam. Alice, not noticing Jefferson's preoccupation with her appearance, stretched her lean arms and let out a soft moan before slumping back into bed.

Jefferson's mouth hung open dumbly for a few moments before his mind snapped back to attention. "You don't have to get up," Jefferson offered, cursing himself for not being able to think of something better to say to her.

Alice though, was pleased with his kind offer. "No, it's quite alright, I've slept in enough already," she said, gathering a bout of strength and throwing her legs across the bed to stand up. "Any progress with the hat?" she asked, sauntering over to Jefferson. Jefferson could not rip his eyes away from her hips, losing himself in Alice's graceful steps. He turned his back on Alice, hiding his furious blush and wracking his mind desperately for words, any words. Alice took no note of this, instead bending over Jefferson and draping her arms around his neck. As she rested her head on his shoulder, Jefferson prayed that she would by some miracle not notice his scarlet cheeks.

Thankfully, she did not. And if she did, she ignored it. Jefferson silently thanked her for that.

Gulping, Jefferson found his heart floating with feelings of nervousness and bliss. Jefferson's shoulders tingled at Alice's touch, and Jefferson was having a hard time ignoring the feeling. It didn't help that his stomach was filled with rapidly fluttering butterflies any time Alice was near him. "Um.. It's coming along," he said, managing to find the words after much struggle. He rotated the brim of the hat as if to inspect his work, wanting everything to be perfect for his lovely new friend. "I think I found what's wrong," he stated turning around to face her. "There was a loose seam, so I just to fixed that up. It should be in perfect condition, and ready for travel," he said with a smile.

Alice beamed, blessing him her immaculate grin. She laid a hand gently on his cheek, taking him slightly off guard, "Jefferson," she began, pausing as if searching for the right words, "Thank you." That was not enough, Alice told herself, and she looked up and into his eyes, "From the bottom of my heart, Jefferson, thank you. For everything you've done for me. If things were different... I wish..." she began to trail off. It was still not enough, she told herself, nothing would ever be enough to repay the debt she now owed this man. Jefferson took note of the sadness that swept over Alice's eyes, clouding them and dulling them. He had to restrain himself from professing his undying love – no, his _fondness _for her. Maybe she was just as sad at the idea of leaving as he was. Things were certainly different than they were the first time she had prepared to leave, something unspoken between them lingered in the air. They had formed a bond, one that had began germination with their first meeting, and as the time had passed it had blossomed into a strong bond.

For Jefferson, the bond was stronger than friendship. It was the strongest and most powerful bond he had ever experienced. He wasn't particularly sure how Alice felt. But just by looking at her, Jefferson knew he wanted to hold her in his arms, grab onto her and never let go, and he wanted to kiss her. God how he wanted to kiss her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and her lips were entrancing. Small and plump, constantly curved upwards into a rosy smile that lit up an entire room, Jefferson wanted nothing more than to know their taste, their feel. He wanted to have a real, passionate kiss. He wanted to wrap his arms around her waist, to feel the curves of her beautiful body.

Jefferson stood up, and Alice's hand drifted from his cheek to his shoulder. "You're welcome Alice, you're the first person... The first person that's ever paid me any mind," he said softly. Jefferson's eyes drifted to her lips, as it seemed they were inching closer and closer. When he looked up he saw her eyes gazing into his. Before Jefferson had the time to blush he decided to take a chance, for he may never get one again, and he leaned in quickly and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was chaste, but Alice leaned into him, grasping at the lapels of his vest, while Jefferson's hands hovered for a moment over her back, hesitant and scared, but told himself to take another risk – his last risk had, afterall, paid off. Slowly, he brought his arms to her lower back, and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her in his embrace.

Alice pulled away quickly, and pressed her hands to her lips, as if to confirm what had just happened. Her cheeks lit up like roses, and she was at a loss of both words and breath. Her blue gaze drifted to the ground, boring intensely and unwaveringly into it. Jefferson thought Alice was lost in her thoughts, he could almost hear the gears cranking in her mind.

"I'm sorry," Jefferson began to sputter, his embarrassment and shame nearly overwhelming him. "I shouldn't have-"

"No... Don't apologize," she said meeting his gaze. "I-... I should be getting back home," she said reaching to grab the hat. Jefferson felt his heart sink in despair, he had made a fool of himself, and he was losing the one woman he had ever cared for.

She paused for a moment, her mind still in shock from the kiss they had just shared. "Good-bye... Jefferson," she said sadly, fiddling with the hat in her hands. "We'll meet again," she said with a half-hearted tone of reassurance.

"Good-bye, Alice," he said trying to attempt a small smile, although he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

Alice hesitated a moment, before throwing the hat upon the ground and sending it spinning. She jumping into the swirling pit, and soon Alice and the hat were gone.

Jefferson's hands went to his forehead, and moved back to his hair in frustration. He felt so stupid. He was an idiot for ever thinking that someone, especially someone like Alice would ever reciprocate his feelings.

He moved back to his work desk to start putting away his sewing supplies, and was too distracted by his thoughts to notice the faint sound of a blowing wind and the footsteps that followed.

A hand grabbed his shoulder forcing him to turn around, before Jefferson could register what was happening he felt lips press against his, and his eyes were wide as he realized Alice was kissing him. Alice kissed him with determined force, and once the shock wore off, Jefferson brought his hands to her sides, and Alice threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Alice deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue gently into his mouth, surprising Jefferson. Jefferson had never experienced a sensation as blissful as the feeling of Alice's mouth moving in sync against his, not that he had really had any experience in that area.

She released Jefferson's lips from her own, and rested her forehead against his. Jefferson, struggled to catch his breath, and stared intently at Alice, whose eyes were closed as she basked in the afterglow of their kiss.

She gave Jefferson a small peck before opening her eyes and pulling away from Jefferson's body ever so slightly, moving both of her hands to his shoulders.

"You-... You came back," Jefferson said, unable to contain the grin that grew on his lips, lighting up his features.

"I changed my mind," she said, lifting one of her hands to stroke Jefferson's hair. "Jefferson, I care for you."

Jefferson thought his heart was going to explode with glee.

"I care for you, too" he said with a goofy grin, and she smiled at him dazzlingly.

"I have to go back to Wonderland, just for a little while... But I'll come back," she started. "Unless," she started shyly, silently cursing herself for her weak tone, "You wanted to... I don't know... Come with me perhaps," she said glancing at him through her fair, blond eyelashes.

"Leave behind my life here? That sounds mad," he said.

"I'm sorry, it was a stupid idea," she said quickly, embarrassment clouding her features. She shrunk away from him slightly.

"Who ever said that being mad was a bad thing?" Jefferson said with a grin, and Alice, looking up at him suddenly, felt a grin on her own face. She giggled and jumped into his arms.

"Oh Jefferson! You are going to love Wonderland! But are you sure? That you want to leave your life here, that is?"

Jefferson pretended to think about this for a moment. "Well… It will certainly be hard leaving this glamorous life behind, but I'm sure the mushrooms will find someone else to waste their time picking them in my absence," he joked, "Should I pack a bag?"

"No, you shan't need one," she said grabbing his hand in hers, squeezing it affectionately, making Jefferson smile.

"Shall we, my Hatter?" she asked with the hat in hand.

"We shall," he said, watching Alice flick her wrist and send the hat spinning on the ground.

"Together?" She said turning to Jefferson.

"Of course," he said, and with that they both took a step into the spinning mass of darkness.

* * *

There was a definite difference in the way the two friends – lovers? (Jefferson wasn't sure _what_ they were) – landed. Alice, having done this thousands of times, landed with the grace of a gymnast on her feet. She made it look easy with her nonchalance. Jefferson however, landed with a rather painful thud as his backside hit the floor hard. Jefferson blushed when he heard Alice's giggles and he stood up quickly. Jefferson was able to look around the room for the first time, and saw that the room was filled with various doors.

"These are all different worlds?" Jefferson asked in amazement.

"Yes," she said taking a few steps towards a large mirror.

Jefferson was silent for a moment, taking in his surroundings and taking a moment to examine each door. A few stuck out to him – the first being a rather childish looking door. It was white and had pink flowers painted on it. Another door was old-fashioned and regal, but also a deep gray. In fact, the area surrounding the doorway was gray, too, which was something Jefferson could not explain. And, of course, the mirror Alice approached caught his interest.

"Have you been to all of them?" he asked.

"Most of them." Alice said, shrugging her shoulders as if being a traveler of different worlds and dimensions was no big deal, it was something everyone did in their spare time. "I'd never been to yours. I haven't been traveling as much lately, with Wonderland being in such a state of chaos. One day though... I'm going to show you all the worlds that the universe has to offer." she said, her blue eyes taking on a hazy, dreamy luster.

"I look forward to it," Jefferson said, his voice trailing off as he met her gaze with an affectionate smile.

"Well this is it," she said gesturing towards a rather large and ornate mirror. "Are you ready?" she asked excitedly.

"I am," he said, and Alice lead him through the looking glass. Jefferson was surprised to see Alice seemingly melt into the mirror, and followed, experiencing a cool chill, and then a sweltering heat upon stepping into a vibrant and colorful world.

* * *

**A SUPER SUPER HUGE THANKS TO SUPERCILIUM. He helped me out a ton in this chapter, and also to ViCtOrIoUsGaL41822 who has been helping me out along the way as well. The next chapter should be up soon, it's all written just needs to be edited. Review if you like!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So I feel kind of naked posting this chapter without a beta, but I've read it over multiple times so it should be ok, and I'm itching for this story to just get to the fluffy goodness. So here you go!**

"Wow."

Jefferson's mouth gaped wide as he took in the sight of his fantastic surroundings. The sky was a shade of brilliant cerulean, and looked vaguely of what Jefferson expected one would see if they were shrunk down to the size of a mouse. Vibrant stalks of grass and flowers stood as tall as Jefferson.

The mirror that they had just passed through suddenly rippled, and in a split second, collapsed into a single point and then rapidly expanded once again, this time into the form of the magical top hat, which fell to the ground.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said, taking a moment to admire it as well, before stooping to pick up the hat. "I absolutely love it here. When I came here as a child I felt as if I was stepping into a dream," she said with a reminiscent tone. "I'll take you to where I live," she said, pulling him through the grass.

Jefferson could hardly watch where he was going. He was overwhelmed by the strangeness of this world. And as they descended further into the grass, which became taller and taller until it almost seemed they were in a forest, and he could've sworn that the flowers that they were passing by had faces, faces which seemed to be gawking at him.

Alice turned back to face Jefferson, amused at his wide eyes that were looking anywhere but where they were going, resulting in a few stumbles from Jefferson who was not paying attention to the uneven terrain of the ground. "You get used to it," Alice smiled. "We're almost there," she said, as the grass began to dissipate and large and looming trees took their place, and a dark and overgrown path emerged.

They walked only a few steps before a silky voice was heard. "Who's your friend, Alice?" The velvety voice asked, seemingly from out of nowhere. It seemed like the voice was coming right from over Jefferson's shoulder, causing him to gasp in fear and spin around to search for the mysterious person, finding no one but Alice in front of him.

Suddenly something soft slithered along Jefferson shoulder. Jefferson let out a yelp, turned again and rapidly tried to escape whatever was there. He found himself gaping at a cat which was floating in mid air, waving its tail back and forth in a nonchalant manner, which apparently was what Jefferson had felt moments ago.

"Chessure!" She scolded. "Behave!"

"So sorry, Alice," he said, his voice dripping with exaggerated sincerity. He made a pouty face as if to ask for forgiveness, to which Alice responded to with a roll of the eyes.

"This is Jefferson, he's... a friend." she said awkwardly. "A friend from a different world," she added.

"Oh wow, a _friend_," he said with interest, his eyes fixed on Jefferson. Alice glared at him angrily with embarrassment, he sensed the insinuation, and it was just like Ethel all over again.

"Jefferson, this is Chessure," she said, he eyes still shooting daggers at the cat.

Jefferson cleared his throat. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he said languidly. Jefferson lifted his arm as if to shake a hand, but forgot he was talking to a cat. A talking cat, Jefferson amended. This probably should come as more of a shock to him than it is.

"Come on Jefferson," Alice said pulling him away, and the cat followed them, lounging in the air lazily as he floated behind. The path led to a small and dilapidated cottage, which looked as if it had once been painted with bright colors, but had faded into dullness over the years. It had two stories, the second of which seeming to lean lazily to one side as it was about to fall over. "Home sweet home," she said happily opening the door.

"Hare! I'm home!" She yelled loudly as she slammed the door, causing the whole house to shake in protest.

The floor and ceiling of the house seemed to be slanting to one side.

"Alice! You're back!" A rather disheveled and spastic rabbit seemed to appear out of nowhere. A rabbit that also happened to be wearing a shabbily patched up suit. "I was begining to worry something had happened to Alice," he said with his eyes wide and whiskers twitching. "You missed tea," he said suddenly angry.

"I'm sorry Hare," she said as if trying to reason with a child. "I got caught up with some cards, and then took a little road trip to another world and got stuck," she explained.

"Cards?" Jefferson asked curiously.

"The Queen of Hearts men... They uhh...They are gigantic card men," she said scratching the back of her head.

"Card... Men?" Jefferson said with a face of incredulity. "You mean a card was what did did that to you?" he said gesturing to her still healing leg with humor in his eyes.

"Hey! They are a lot more intimidating than they sound!" she said punching him in the shoulder. Alice turned back to the hare, who seemed to be distracted and intensely genuinely fascinated by a button on his jacket.

"Shall we have tea now, Hare?" Alice asked.

"Yes, that would be nice," the Hare agreed.

"I'll get it started then," she said smiling, and removing her hands from Jefferson's to rest on his upper back. "Make sure to make yourself at home," she whisper to Jefferson giving his ear a nip, causing Jefferson to jump.

"Yes, Our home is yours," Chessure said appearing out of nowhere next to them.

"Oh get out of here you old cat," Alice said grumpily, leaving Jefferson uncomfortably alone in a sitting room with the Hare.

"Nonsense Alice, I'll help you," he said drifting into the kitchen after Alice.

"Chessure, leave him be," Alice said sternly as she grabbed the kettle and began to fill it with water.

"Oh Alice, don't spoil the fun. I assure you, I would never be anything but gracious to your new beau," he purred.

"He's not my-" she started defensively, but upon thinking about it, she realized he kind of was. They were most definitely more than friends.

"You seem to like him a lot," Chessure prodded.

"I do," Alice said matter of factly, placing the kettle upon their stove.

For a moment they stood without speaking until Chessure broke the silence "Alice... I know that you feel a certain... Responsibility towards Wonderland but... You know you can leave. It's unsafe here in Wonderland for you," he said genuinely.

"But what about you? And everyone else?" she asked.

"Please Alice. We could handle ourselves. The queen hardly has any concern of a cat and psychotic rabbit stealing her throne," he said with a chuckle. "Just... I don't know... You seem to care for the boy... You could always run away from this world, find some place safe to settle down... Have a normal life," he offered.

"Normal is highly overrated," she said softly.

"Just something to consider."

"I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. I've only known the man a few days. And _you've_ known him less than an hour, yet your ready to send me off to another world to marry him! He could be evil mass murderer!" She said dramatically.

"I never said anything about marriage," he said defensively. "And he's not evil. He's too much of a bumbling fool."

"Chessure!"

"I say that in a completely endearing way," he amended. "And besides, he looks at you with complete infatuation at the very least. You say you've only known the boy a couple of days?"

"His name is Jefferson, not the boy, and yes," she said stubbornly.

"Curious. You must have done quite a number on him, he looks completely entranced," he joked, "And I could say the same for you as well," he said, causing Alice to scowl. Luckily the tea was done, and it gave her something to do and ignore Chessure.

Alice poured the tea, and placed the mismatched tea cups onto a tray and returned to the sitting room, to find a Jefferson, who seemed significantly less uncomfortable than he was when she left him.

The Hare was in the midst of the retelling of an encounter with an ornery Jabberwocky, which Alice assumed to be completely untrue, but Jefferson seemed to be fascinated. He finished up his tale, and turned to accept a cup of tea from Alice. "I like him, I do," he said with enthusiasm, causing Jefferson to blush.

They spent the rest of the evening telling Chessure and the Hare of Alice's last few days, from her fight with the Queen's guards to her getting stuck in the Enchanted Forest, all the while sitting close to Jefferson on the sofa, her hand gently resting on his knee and causing warmth to flood Jefferson's cheeks at the contact.

When the time came to retire for bed, Alice set up a bed for Jefferson on the couch with a blanket and pillow.

"Well, I look forward to sleeping on something that isn't the ground," Jefferson said jokingly. Alice merely smiled in return, and brought a hand to rest against Jefferson's face. Jefferson brought his hand to meet hers, holding her wrist in place and stroking gentle circles with his thumb.

"Goodnight love," she said affectionately, softly kissing his lower lip.

"Goodnight, Alice he said, leaning further into her touch. He reluctantly let go of her wrist, and Alice retreated to her bedroom for the night.

* * *

Alice woke Jefferson in the morning insisting that they go exploring to return the favor of Jefferson showing her around the market near his home.

"I'm so excited to see you discover Wonderland," she beamed, pulling him into the woods. They spent a while walking, observing many different strange animals and plants. Jefferson seems enraptured, while Alice just enjoyed watching his expression of amazement.

They settled down in a meadow, where Alice found a tree to lean against in the shade. Jefferson joined her, and Alice gestured for him to lay his head in her lap, to which he obliged. He felt awkward at first doing so, but for Alice touching was so natural and frequent, and he was beginning to become accustomed to that. She began to stroke his hair, and she let out a sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. Jefferson found himself becoming tired as well, and his eyes drifted closed.

When Jefferson opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Alice, who was fiddling with his hair, and upon realizing he was awake, dropped her hands abruptly and had a look mischievous guilt on her face.

"What did you do Alice?" he asked with an eyebrow raised in a wary tone.

"Nothing," she said with feigned innocence.

Jefferson lifted a hand to his head, and his fingers were met with a plethora of flowers that had been weaved and folded into his hair. He merely glared at Alice, who smiled angelically.

"You looked so peaceful, I thought that the flowers would add to the angelic image," she giggled. Jefferson once again didn't respond, and instead pounced on Alice, throwing her completely off guard. Her back slipped from the tree and onto the ground, and Jefferson's arms formed a cage around her body. Alice let out a gasp, surprised by Jefferson's sudden burst of playfulness and confidence.

"You'll pay for that," he said in an attempt to sound menacing.

"I doubt that," she said with skepticism dripping from her voice.

He suddenly leaned into kiss her passionately, and his lips moved from her jaw to her ears, and then her neck. Alice was not prepared for the assault, and found herself moaning at the unexpected passion. Alice suddenly elevated her heads to meet Jefferson's lips with her own, and kissed him until they both were breathless. Jefferson pulled away, and flopped onto his back, panting. His hand searching for and grasping her hand.

"Wow," she said catching her breath. "So much for the shy gentlemen you've been leading me to believe you are," she said blissfully. Jefferson swore he could feel his ears turn pink.

Alice released Jefferson's hand, and groaned as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. "I suppose we should be getting back soon," she said.

Jefferson sat up with a groan of exasperation. They spent the whole day sleeping, and he was sorely disappointed they did not get to explore as much as he had anticipated. And also he was not looking forward to returning back to the cottage where they would no longer be alone. Jefferson lifted a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but his attention was drawn to a piece of bread strangely lying on the ground. Jefferson picked it up. "Eat me," he read out loud.

"Well if you insist," Alice said seductively, until she realized that he was reading. "Oh my, I wouldn't advise eating that Jefferson," she said warningly.

"What is it? Does someone in Wonderland just go around leaving baked goods around the woods?" he asked with curiosity.

"Not exactly. It's a magic bread, it makes you grow. It kind of just... shows up" she explained.

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully examining it in his hand. "It makes you grow? I almost can't believe that, but I'll take your word," he said, turning the piece of bread over in his hand. "I bet people would pay fortunes for something like this in the Enchanted Forest," he mused.

"They would?" She asked with surprise.

"Imagine what you could do if you were a king and had an army of giants fighting on your side," he thought further.

Alice thought back to her conversation with Chessure from the day before, and her mind began to wander. A life outside of Wonderland. With Jefferson, living comfortably and safely. If they could make money off things like this... They could live a life of leisure. The idea continued to shape itself in her mind.

"Alice... Are you alright?" Jefferson asked with concern. "You're being awfully quiet."

"I have an idea Jefferson," she said with a smile. "Come on, we're going to find more bread. And tomorrow... We go back to the Enchanted Forest."

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	6. Chapter 6

"So... Why did you want to come back to the Enchanted Forest so soon? I thought you were excited to be back in Wonderland." Jefferson said with furrowed eyebrows, removing his jacket and hanging it on a dining chair. It was already late in the day and the sun was beginning to set on the Enchanted Forest, casting a fiery glow on the inside of Jefferson's home.

"I've been thinking," she started, approaching Jefferson from behind and grasping his shoulders in her dainty gloved hands and massaging them gently. "And I think it would be good for us to live in the Enchanted Forest." Jefferson's heart did a flip at the sound of "us". He was still growing accustomed to being a half to a whole. His relationship with Alice was so new, so fresh - it had blossomed more quickly than he'd ever expected. His world had taken on a lighter look - it was brighter, the sun shined with a new light. Jefferson still found himself marveling at Alice and her returned affections.

"I did not know that you were so fond of my glamorous life I lead here. It's not too dull for you?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Of course not," she said wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his back and taking comfort in the heartbeat that was steadily thumping. "Being with you is anything but dull."

"But still," he continued. "Why live here? Why not Wonderland?"

"It's safe here," she started," And...because something occurred to me, Jefferson." Jefferson waited a moment for her to continue.

"And what would that be Alice?" he asked prodding playfully.

"All these worlds that I go to... They are so different... So unique. And it just got me to thinking... How valuable something from one world would be in another. Just imagine how much someone would pay to get their hands on something so rare you can't even find it in your own world. We could make a fortune!" Alice said releasing Jefferson from her hold.

"I suppose I never really thought about that," Jefferson said, taking a seat at the small dining room table. Alice moved to sit down across from him and gazed at him with excitement glowing dimly in her eyes. "The trading and selling of goods isn't exactly a bustling business in Wonderland, which is why it is perfect here. Just think... We could live in comfort. No more mushroom picking," she teased.

"What kinds of things would be selling?" he asked.

"All sorts of things. Perhaps the growth and shrinking foods from Wonderland. Like you said before, I'm sure someone could find use for that sort of thing, and at the price of a pretty penny. And in Neverland they have fairies there, with dust that can make you fly," she said, her voice and pace increasing with a sort of wonderment and determination, "Can you imagine it Jefferson? We'd both have new lives, and we'd have everything we could ever wish for," she said standing from her chair and taking two long strides to Jefferson and crouching at his level, grabbing his hands to hold in hers.

"What about The Red Queen?" He questioned. "Wonderland is doomed. I realize that now," she murmured, her voice hanging heavy in the air, her eyes glazing over with hopelessness, "The Red Queen can't be defeated. There's no place for me there anymore," she said, lifting her gaze from their hands to his face, "My place is with you," she said softly.

"And what of your friends?"

"They are better off without me, believe me. The Red Queen was hardly interested in them before I came around." Alice hoped one day she'd be able to convince herself of this. She knew them to be true, but guilt was still plaguing her spirit. Part of her felt like leaving Wonderland was utterly selfish and deplorable, no matter what Chessure said, but she couldn't quell the urge she was feeling to live a life free of worry with Jefferson. And it's wasn't like she was leaving forever, she kept reminding herself. She would go back. One day.

"Are you sure of this?" He asked her, his eye brows furrowing slightly.

"Yes," she said with confidence. "Even so, if I change my mind, Wonderland is only a flick of the wrist away."

"Well if you're going to live here, we probably should take another trip to the market tomorrow," he said leaving his seat.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm afraid your clothes have reached the end of their days, my dear," he said searching among the cupboards for something to eat. Alice had been alternating between a handful of ratty dresses that came only to her knees. Her legs were covered by stockings that were so worn that they could scarcely be called stockings, full of holes, patches and fabric that she wrapped around her legs in areas that the damage was too great. The only thing that were no practically falling off her body were her boots, the scuffed brown leather, being obviously worn for many years, clinging tightly laced to her feet perfectly. Her day to day ensembles were aged and clearly not of origin of Wonderland or the Enchanted Forest, Jefferson figured that they belonged to Alice's homeland. She had admitted to him that she returned there from time to time but she was not overly fond of her visits there.

"Who needs clothes?" she said taking Jefferson's vacant chair. "Clothes are highly overrated. Nudity is much more comfortable," she said lazily placing her hands behind her head and leaning back. Jefferson rolled his eyes as he found a loaf of bread and knife to cut it with.

"So you wish to parade around the village in the nude?" he asked with a small smile as he carefully sliced. "That might cause a stir."

"Good," she said leaving her seat approaching Jefferson and grabbing a slice of bread from over his shoulder, and taking a large bite filling her mouth.

"That's attractive," he said with a scoff upon seeing her stuffed cheeks.

"I am highly attractive," she said in a manner that was quite the opposite, with her voice muffled from the bread. "Admit it," she said once she had swallowed, "You think I'm adorable."

"That's debatable," he teased. She raised an eyebrow and then sauntered to his clothing chest to grab his mother's old night gown, and struggled to get her corset off, letting out a frustrated groan.

"Let me help," Jefferson said just as she felt his fingers begin to work the lacing.

"I really need to get better at doing this myself. You'd think after ten years of doing this it'd get a little easier," she said with a huff, followed by a moan of pleasure as she felt the release from the confines of the restricting garment.

"How ever did you do this before?" He asked playfully.

"Very carefully," she said as Jefferson turned to give her some privacy as she removed her clothes and pulled the nightgown over her head. Jefferson busied himself with setting up his makeshift bed in the corner while Alice braided her long mass of blonde curls. Jefferson was taken aback when he turned around to find Alice watching him from his bed. She hesitated and fiddled with her fingers.

"What?" Jefferson asked.

"You know... You can sleep in the bed... With me if you want," she asked, averting her eyes from his shyly. Jefferson was taken off guard, his ears burning as he attempted to sputter out a response.

"Oh, no, Alice I couldn't," he said as politely as he could.

"Oh, Jefferson," she said, suddenly regaining her confidence. "Don't be a baby! We are two grown adults, I swear I won't bite," she said patting the bed. Jefferson hesitated, but found himself timidly approaching the bed as Alice scooted to the side to give him room. The bed was decently sized, plenty of room for one person, but a snug fit for two. Jefferson pulled himself into bed, and pulled the blanket up to cover the both of them. Alice watched Jefferson's Adam's apple bob nervously, and she let out a giggle. Jefferson's whole body was tense and distanced uncomfortably from him. She moved her body closer to his and laced her fingers through his turning onto her side and entwining one of her legs with his.

"Relax Jefferson," she said as she closed her eyes with a smile on her face, and he listened to her, letting his muscles relax and enjoying the feel of Alice's breath on his neck. "Goodnight, Alice," he said kissing her nose gently.

"Goodnight, my love," she said in return drifting into sleep.

* * *

"You sure like blue," Jefferson remarked with amusement.

"Oh hush you," she said admiring yet another cerulean gown, and then throwing it into the growing pile of dresses that lay in Jefferson's arms.

"Are you finished?" Jefferson asked.

"Yes I think so," she said thoughtfully.

"Alright, I have to get some fabric before we leave. I shan't be much longer," he said turning his back. "Try not to wander," he added. He waited for a response, and turned around to find Alice was nowhere in sight. Again. "Really?" he groaned. He had already lost Alice nearly a dozen times, and it was not yet even noon. He pushed back his hair in slight frustration, although if he was honest with himself, he couldn't be mad at Alice in the slightest.

He resigned himself to look at the fabrics and found himself getting lost in the textures and designs. Ever since he had made the hat for Alice he had felt his affinity for hatting and sewing begin to return to him. The fabric was merely meant for mending trousers, but he couldn't help but imagine the hats that he could make out of each one. His train of thought was interrupted by a commotion outside the shop, followed by a series of shrieks. He let out a sigh. _Alice_, He thought rolling his eyes. Days ago he may have been worried for her, but knowing her now he could safely say that Alice was more likely to be causing trouble rather than be in it. Besides, if anyone could handle themselves, it was Alice. He poked his head out of the shop's door to make sure there was no real danger, and then returned to pay for the items.

He dumped them onto the counter in a heap, and waited for the merchant to examine his finds and price them.

"That will be 10 silvers," he said gruffly.

Jefferson's eyes bulged, "Ten silvers?!" He repeated in shock.

"Are you deaf?" The man replied, his voice growing annoyed.

"Surely I can talk you down a little?" he suggested as politely as he could. "Five silvers, perhaps?"

"Five silvers?! Are you mad! Ten! I should make it eleven just for you!" He exclaimed in shock, his voice dripping of a barely contained outrage.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't have-" and suddenly Jefferson was interrupted by a hand shooting past him and dropping a pouch of heavy coins onto the counter.

"That should be enough," he heard Alice say from behind him. The man stared at her with incredulous eyes, and examined the contents of the pouch, counting out ten silver coins into his palm. Apparently Alice was counting as well, for as soon as he had ten in his palm she snatched the pouch back. "I was going to give you all of that, but I can't say I'm really impressed with your customer service," she said haughtily. The man let out a grunt of frustration, and pushed their items towards them.

"Thank you, sir, it has been lovely doing business with you," she said taking their purchases in her arms, and smugly marched out of the store. Alice nearly tipped over, with the weight of the dresses offsetting her balance, before Jefferson steadied her and took them from her.

"I was perfectly capable of carrying those," she said stubbornly.

"Where did you get that money from?" Jefferson said ignoring her.

"I just sold a few Wonderlandian goods," she sniffed.

"What did you sell?!" He gasped. She pulled out a piece of the growth bread from her pocket with a sly grin. Suddenly things clicked into place. "What happened, Alice?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well they wanted to see if it worked, so they had a bite. I don't know why it caused such a fuss. I mean what do you expect when you eat magical growth bread? I did warn them you know," she said coming to the trail that led into the woods and to Jefferson's home. Jefferson's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh he was fine, I sold them a potion that shrinks one in size as well," she said nonchalantly. When they finally made it to Jefferson's house his arms were tired with the weight of Alice's clothes. He dropped them onto the floor and then threw himself face down onto the bed with a thump.

"You can put those away," he said with a voice muffled from the blankets.

"You're such a baby, Jefferson," she said picking up a dress and hanging it up in his wardrobe.

"Says the one who didn't carry anything," he accused.

"I carried your fabric!" She said in defense. He sighed and decided to drop the subject, he was already worn out from the long walk, and he didn't have the energy to argue, even if it was merely in jest.

"How much money did you make?" He asked with curiosity.

"I'm not really familiar with your lands money," she said picking up the pouch and throwing it towards him. "See for yourself."

"Alice," he said slowly.

"Yes, Jefferson?" she said still preoccupied with hanging up her new clothes.

"This is more than I make in a year!" He exclaimed.

"Really?" She said, dropping the dress she was holding to the ground.

"What do you we take another little shopping trip tomorrow?" Jefferson grinned.

* * *

**Thank you Supercilium for editing this chapter, you're a doll!**


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